Social Networking & Sewer Rats - And Yes - A BaconHead

Ten years ago what is happening in Tunisia and Egypt, and maybe other places in the Middle East soon enough would never have happened. Tyrants and dictators ruled with an iron fist. Even though many still do, the youth and impoverished of those nations now feel empowered thanks to a little thing called the Internet and something called Facebook and Twitter.

Ironically, many in the Arab world may owe their freedoms to an American kid with the last name "Zuckerberg."

People have used these sites to organize, to plan demonstrations, and get their messages out faster than ever. It seems tyrants can't keep up with technology.

Before Facebook became what it is, we had bloggers. People who didn't have millions of $$$$$ to own a newspaper instead had a computer, an idea, a message and internet access. Many people and organizations have blogs. Despite naysayers they are still as popular as ever, take for example the respected blog "MoreMonmouthMusings." Blogs are the new newspapers - places you can get information sometimes much faster that maybe a newspaper can't supply, or believe things are "non-starters" when they are really news to people affected by it.

In 2007, this very blog was under attack, not for yelling "Fire" in a crowded theater, but instead for actively discussing a legal case certain small town politicians didn't want to have discussed outside of very closed doors. We openly discussed it, and we were then threatened with legal action for it. We had two options - stop blogging and let those who want to eliminate da First Amendment rule the day - or stand up to da bully who wants our milk money.

We stood up.

Not only did we stand up, we also set a legal precedent that stands today in our great nation. Already, it appears our legal challenge to da taxpayer-funded Manalapan Legal Dream Team and da precedent it created has already been used in court in a similar successful legal challenge. But, it also did something even more important.

There are some who even dared say that it was da inclusion of daTruthSquad into this case that threw da big monkey wrench into da plans of da Manalapan politicians and their Legal Dream Team, making da case unwinable for them and handing victory to da Mosked Man.

Our successful challenge threw a huge monkey wrench into da plans of da politicians and da taxpayer-funded Manalapan Legal Dream Team's case against da Mosked Man. After 25 months of taxpayer-funded challenges, da taxpayer-funded Manalapan Legal Dream Team realized they had no case whatsoever and was basically forced to end their legal farce against da Mosked Man. However, this doesn't end here.

Failing to agree on a suitable conclusion, da case now continues, not as "Da Township of Manalapan vs Da Mosked Man" but instead as "Da Mosked Man vs da Township of Manalapan." Now, da Mosked Man is going after da very people who went after him, and don't be surprised if da taxpayer-funded Manalapan Legal Dream Team settles this case out of court for more money than da Mosked Man would see in 5-10 years.

Yes, my TruthTellers - arrogance does come with a price - sometimes a taxpayer-funded price.

Which brings us to da Manalapan Sewer Rats.

This month, da GOP'er dominated Manalapan Township Committee under da leadership of Land Baron Mayor Andy Boy had a patronage opening to fill on da Manalapan Sewer Authority. Who did da GOP'ers decided to make a paid-commissioner of da WMUA? Did they pick an engineer who knew something about waste treatment? Did they pick a management pro who has experience with aquatic engineering? Did they pick someone who ate too many spicy burritos and knows how to flush a toilet? Or, did they pick someone who is da defacto leader of their political party?

If you picked "D" for defacto, you are correct.

Da person they chose to be a paid commissioner complete with cadillac health benefits was none other than Manalapan GOP Municipal Chairman Steve "Iron Girth" McEnery!

Even more ironic -- this type of choice is da very rationale that Governor Chris Christie is flushing out in Passaic County. Maybe Christie should look at Manalapan's WMUA as a place he can also clean up.

To be fair, if a then-Democratic-dominated Manalapan Township Committee led by da Queen had made Manalapan Democratic Chairman Gerry "One Bourbon, One Shot & One Beer" Ward or Mr. Michelle Roth da new commish, can you imagine da outcry from Andy Boy and his cronies complaining to anyone who'd listen about cronyism at its finest?

DaTruth is, da pick of Iron Girth wreaks of cronyism. But that's something they'll probably have to deal with in November when da Queen and da Democrats makes that part of her platform.

As for this year, Manalapan like many towns who have depleated or will soon their yearly snow budgets will be facing serious budget issues. Should it be fair that Manalapan taxpayers and toilet flushers have to foot da bill for political party crony commissioners whose job is to oversee a sewer system? Maybe its time that da Manalapan GOP follow their leader Chris Christie and abolish da sewer commissioners and do away with da cronyism - and da salary and cadillac benefits that come with it.

And - remember that Manalapan Township already has a government liason at NO COST TO TAXPAYERS whose job it is to be the go-between between da town and da WMUA --- Land Baron Mayor Andy Boy! If you need proof - check out da town website as of January 10.

Or, Land Baron Andy Boy can do one better -- prove Christie wrong! Why not make commissioners for other things in Manalapan, and place his friends and $$$$ supporters into those positions at taxpayer expense!

Maybe Manalapan should create da "Commissioner of Yorktowne Shopping Center" and put da person who was Andy Boy's political campaign treasurer in place with a salary and benefits? Maybe one of da heads of da Yorktowne Club can be da new "Commissioner of Route 33," and pay him and give him benefits too. You can always nominate daTruthSquad as Manalapan's "Commissioner of Bloggers" - but to be fair, we'll decline because we don't want to take hard-earned taxpayer money. We'd much rather win a lottery, or win at da poker tables, or win a lawsuit first brought against us.

This, of course, brings us to da always popular and always fun BaconHead of da Month!

Congratulations are in order for da very first BaconHead of 2011! For accepting a job that comes with a salary and cadillac benefits - and for having as da qualification for being nominated for this position da resume that includes "Political Party Boss" and "Leader of Republican Election Campaigns" - we at daTruthSquad boldly hand you da BaconHead of da Month to none other than Manalapan Republican Municipal Chairman / Paid Sewer Commisioner Steve "Iron Girth" McEnery!

DaTruth is, you can take it from somebody who has served da people at one time - There is no need for 4 commissioners who suckle from da public trough when you already have peopleon town governments whose job it is to do da very same thing - oversee and report back! You can wither follow Republican Governor Chris Christie's lead and do away with political patronage jobs for da sake of padding political friends pockets - or admit you don't have true Republican values and stand aside and let someone else do what is right "For All Da People!"

It's time that citizens of Manalapan attend meetings, and demand from their political Republican leadership that they do what they preach and rid Manalapan of political party patronage. We call on da Manalapan Township Committee to demand da WMUA remove all so-called "Commissioners" from da public and private dole. We already have town "liasons." We don't need politically connected people suckling from da public trough. Da citizens deserve nothing less!

Be honored, and place this BaconHead Award next to da picture of da toilet flushing. And that's daTruth!